Blog entries from terri

CLEAN GREEN

Terri Wise — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 08:00:00 +0100

It's easy to make your own greener, cheaper cleaners with ingredients already in your pantry.
FOR COUNTERTOPS AND WINDOWS: Combine a tablespoon of white vinegar and a quart of water in a spray bottle, squirt, and wipe dry. Vinegar is a mild acid that dissolves dirt, hard water deposits, and soap scum. Be careful when using vinegar, which can irritate skin, eyes, and mucous membranes.

FOR A CLOGGED DRAIN: Pour in half a cup of dry baking soda, followed by half a cup of vinegar, then cover...

Paint Finish

Terri Wise — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 08:00:00 +0100

FLAT FINISH: Provides a velvet smooth, non-reflective coating; hides wall defects. Authentic finish for vintage colonial style rooms; good background for art. difficult to clean; sponge marks and fingerprints may show; use in low-traffic areas. gives appearance of light texture; easy to apply. A method to apply color at less-than-full intensity for a softer look in rooms. For a uniform look, use consistent stroke; for freer looks, vary the stroking technique.

EGGSHELL: Minimally reflect...

PAINT TYPE

Terri Wise — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:00:00 +0100

LATEX: Spreads easily; cleans up with soap and water. All interior applications may be diluted with water for broken color effects. Inexpensive brands may lack durability. Fine arts paints, water-based; intensely pigmented. Good for broken color effects when small amounts of a color are needed. Intense colors mean these paints need to be diluted for lighter tints.

ACRYLIC: Same as latex; higher quality solids. All interior applications, same as Latex. Best quality are 100% acrylic. N...

Stencils

Terri Wise — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 07:00:00 +0100

CREATE YOUR OWN STENCILS

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
Photocopier
Scotch Tape
Stencil paper
Fine-tip permanent marker
X-Acto knife
Unused cutting board or craft mat
Repositionable spray-on adhesive
Drop cloth
Acrylic paint or paint specific to your surface.
Textile medium to mix with paint for use on fabric.
Small paint brush
Wax paper

BEFORE YOU BEGIN:
Clean the surface to ensure the area is free of lint and dust. If you are stenciling on fabric (like a pillow cover), wash it acc...

Paint Hue Coverage

Terri Wise — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 07:00:00 +0100

We know that paint quality has a big imnpact on coverage, but what role does paint color play?
All colors have different degrees of opacity or transparency, which determine the way they reflect light. Opaque paint colors tend to obscure the color of the surface, while transparent colors tend to allow the surface to show through.

So which paint colors are more challenging in terms of coverage?
Bright, clean yellows, oranges and reds are pigments that tend to be more transparent in nature....

HOME TRENDS

Terri Wise — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 07:00:00 +0100

HOME DECOR TRENDS

1. UNIQUELY ME CHIC....Personalized and eclectic approach to design. Re-emergence of styles like Hollywood Regency where furniture and decor is mixed and matched to suit the homeowner's personality and showcase decor they have collected over the years.

2. ARTISTIC LOVE.......Desire for one-of-a-kind items and an appreciation for the artisan, hand-crafted products for the home.

3. PATTERN PRIDE.....An increasing movement toward Art Deco and Art Noveau inspired ...

Fluorescent Light Bulbs

Terri Wise — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 07:00:00 +0100

One person switching to compact fluorescent lighting will save money and give the environment a boost. If every American home replaced just one traditional bulb with an Energy Star qualified conmpact fluorescent light (CFL) bulb, we would save more than $600 million on annual energy bills and enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year.
CFL Bulbs
1. Use 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs.

2. Last up to 10 times longer than in-
candescent bulbs and produce less h...

commercial building paint color

Terri Wise — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 07:00:00 +0100

Color does affect different types of commercial businesses............so, how can you best determine what colors work best for your building or business? A good place to begin is to look at how your property will appear in the context of its enviornment. Walk around your trade area to see what colors are working for other businesses. You want to fit in, but you also want to stand out.

Consider the building's architecture. Color can enhance or cr...

Interior Re-design

Terri Wise — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 07:00:00 +0100

The art of Re-design is not what you have, but placement with consideration of the architectural features of the room and its surroundings.

We start off by removing all of the accessories, including pictures on the walls, leaving only the large furniture pieces in the room. We group the removed accessories in a side room or dining room table in likeness of color and texture. For instance, candles together, pewter and silver, pictures leaning on a wall grouped by color, etc.....

Paint color

Terri Wise — Sun, 31 May 2009 07:00:00 +0100

PAINT.........What a difference a day makes with paint color. The power of color is seen throughout the industry, from paint, tiles and even appliances. Painting a room has the most impact for the least amount of money than any other decorating component. It has the capacity to breathe new life into a tired room, making your funishings look fresh and new.

Picking the right color can compliment architectural features in a room or downplay structural flaws............

Where to Recycle

Terri Wise — Tue, 12 May 2009 07:00:00 +0100

HERE IS A LIST OF WEBSITES TO RECYCLE FOR THE LOVE OF OUR PLANET:

1. APPLIANCES: recycle-steel.org

2. BUSINESS CLOTHING: dressforsuccess.org

3. TIRES: epa.gov/garbage/tires/live.htm

4. PAINT: earth911.org

5. PACKING PEANUTS: loosefillpackaging.com

6.&nb...

Home Staging

Terri Wise — Wed, 06 May 2009 07:00:00 +0100

In today's market selling your home can be a challenge for homewowners. Dressing your home to sell or staging has become the "facelift" in the competitive market of real estate. We all know about removing the clutter and family pictures and clean like there is no tomorrow, but here are some suggestions that are usually overlooked.

Curb appeal is the first impression of your home. A manicured yard is important with blooming flowers, but...